Early Life

Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia, On January 31, 1919 to a sharecropping family. He was the youngest of his 4 other siblings. He moved to Pasadena, California, with his mother Mallie in 1920, excelled in five sports at Muir High School, and played baseball, basketball, and football at UCLA.

Why Did He Do?

Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play Major League Baseball in the United States during the 20th century. On April 15, 1947, he broke the decades-old “colour line” of Major League Baseball when he appeared on the field for the National League Brooklyn Dodgers in a game against the Boston Braves.

Major Accomplishments

• Broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball by becoming the first African American Player (1947)
• National League Rookie of the Year (1947)
• National League Most Valuable Player Award (1949)
• Springarn Medal (1956)
• Presidential Medal of Freedom (1984)
• Major League Baseball All-Century Team (1999)
• Congressional Gold Medal (2005)
• Inducted into the Hall of Fame (2007)

The End!